July 24th: National Day of Action to Raise the Minimum Wage

Wednesday, July 24th marks the 4th year that Congress has not increased the federal minimum wage, currently $7.25 per hour (or roughly $15,000 per year for a full-time worker). Meanwhile, Congress has not failed to increase Members' salaries. Since 1991 they've voted to increase their pay 13 times. During that same time, they've only increased the federal minimum wage for hourly workers by $3, and have not increase the $2.13 wage for tipped workers at all.

Americans for Democratic Action has historically been on the front lines, leading the push to raise the minimum wage. But we need your help. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representative George Miller (D-CA) have proposed raising the minimum wage to $10.10 by 2015. The Fair Minimum Wage Act raises the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and indexes it to inflation.

Raising the minimum wage would not just help the working poor; it would boost the economy as a whole. According to the Economic Policy Institute, raising the minimum wage to $10.10 would increase consumer spending, resulting in approximately 140,000 net new jobs over three years.

There are many ways you can help us get closer to a fair minimum wage. Take action now, or on Wednesday, July 24th in these ways:

1. Participate in a rally to raise the minimum wage in a city near you. Check out this list of field activities happening across the country;
2. Sign ADA's petition calling for support of the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013;
3. Send this tweet between 2-3pm eastern time: "We cannot wait another year to raise the federal minimum wage - now is the time! #raisethewage"
4. Make a special contribution to ADA.

Together we can make a difference and raise the wage!

Noteworthy:

On July 11th, ADA Iowa hosted a candidate forum with Iowa State Rep. Patrick Murphy, a Democrat running for the U.S. House in Iowa's First District. Click here for photo highlights.

ADA intern Alex Clearfield attended the Senate Judiciary Committee’s first hearing on voting rights since the disastrous Shelby County v. Holder decision. Read about it in his blog post, "Voting Rights Should Be a Bipartisan Fight".